


Time Enough

by the_technicolor_whiscash



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Divine Pulse, Friends to Lovers, Hospital scene, Love Confessions, M/M, Male My Unit | Byleth, mild violence, no beta we die like Glenn, using time travel to save dedue's life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 20:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30094668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_technicolor_whiscash/pseuds/the_technicolor_whiscash
Summary: In a war, you never have enough time to do what you want to do. Byleth, with his divine pulse, had just a little more than the average person. It gives him more time to spend with those he cares about. Like Dedue. He realizes, as time passes, that Dedue is more to him than just a friend.
Relationships: Dedue Molinaro/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Time Enough

**Author's Note:**

> it's a damn tragedy that dedue and male byleth can't get married given that dedue has 3 mlm endings. instys why must you be homophobic. let male byleth love dedue.

It wasn’t often that Byleth used his Divine Pulse. Not that he didn’t need it, he did, but it felt wrong to use it too often. The Divine Pulse felt sacred, something gifted to him by Sothis to be used only in times of great need. He still didn’t even know how it really worked, or how far back he could turn time. 

Outside of battle, he almost forgot about it. That was, until one particular day in the kitchen. In the middle of sauteing spinach, he got distracted, and next thing he knew it was burnt to a crisp.

 _Well, I think Sothis won’t mind._

He concentrated, and a wave of purple emanated across his vision. Good to know he could use it outside of battle. Ticking time just a few minutes back, he brought the spinach back to life with no trouble. 

Byleth had assumed nobody else could feel the effects of the brief time travel, but Dedue, who had been cooking with him, seemed startled by the sudden jump. 

“Apologies.” Dedue said, “I seem to have felt some kind of a chill.”

“No worries.”

That was… interesting. Perhaps he ought to refrain from reversing time in the kitchen again for a while. 

\------

The next day, Byleth decided to head to the library to find any information on the Divine Pulse. Though Sothis was the most important deity in the church of Seiros, very little was actually written about Sothis herself. What accounts did exist were old and fragile, or reprinted, translated accounts from thousands of years ago. And unfortunately, these historical accounts were often very dry reading. 

Byleth sat in an overstuffed armchair, legs hanging over the armrest. He was reviewing a book compiling ancient religious texts, printed both in a translation and the original Nabatean language. Either way, it was nearly incomprehensible. On a chair across the room, Linhardt was fast asleep, a book about Crestology open in his lap. The library was empty otherwise. Less people were visiting during the war, and Byleth couldn’t blame them. 

This book didn’t help much either. It seemed more invested in discussing the beauty and power of Seiros than it did about giving any information about the abilities Sothis had, and it gave Byleth the impression that the author was quite infatuated with Seiros herself. The one thing it did help with was the fact it helped establish a timeline. By this point in history, Sothis was already dead. Well, not dead, but… sleeping. He needed to go even further back in time. The problem was, not many books or accounts remained from so long ago. 

Closing the book, Byleth sighed. He placed it on a collection cart, and proceeded down the shelves. The really old books were the ones high up on the shelves, out of reach for anyone who wasn’t determined. Wheeling over a ladder, Byleth climbed nearly to the top, examining what volumes were there. Many of the spines had long ago cracked, making it difficult to read the titles. Reaching for one, Byleth tried to examine the title, leaning just a little further than was probably advised. Suddenly, he felt the ladder begin to slip. Flailing, he tried to grab it, but lost his grip, and found himself in a free-fall. 

_Hell of a way to go. Survive falling into a ravine and most of a war, and I die falling off a ladder in a library,_ he thought to himself. 

Before he hit the ground in what would surely have been an untimely demise, Byleth found himself being caught by a powerful pair of arms. After taking a moment to confirm that he was not indeed dead, Byleth looked to his savior. Dedue. 

“Thank you for that.” Byleth said, breathing heavily. The wind had been knocked out of him. 

“Certainly. I would not recommend climbing so high without someone spotting you on the ladder.”

“That would be a smart idea, wouldn’t it. But what brings you here?”

“I was returning a book I had borrowed on a genus of plants from Almyra. We have one in the greenhouse that was not doing well, so I hope to be able to revive it.”

“Well, I’m glad you did.”

In the faint candlelight of the library, Byleth could see a dusting of pink across Dedue’s face. “Why were you so high up?”

“I’ve been looking for some historical accounts about the Goddess. Unfortunately, most of them are on the top shelves.”

“You might be better off searching in the Shadow Library.”

“That’s my next stop, if these don’t give me anything useful. It’s as if the church wants you to worship the goddess, but doesn’t want to give you any information about her.”

“Indeed.”

A shuffling came from behind them. Peering over Dedue’s shoulder, Byleth saw Linhardt standing and stretching. He must’ve been woken up by what happened. Byleth was suddenly very much aware of the fact he was still in Dedue’s arms, and it caused the temperature in the room to rise rapidly. He also realized that at some point, he had put an arm behind Dedue’s neck for stability, making them quite close. Pulling himself together, he removed his arm from Dedue and settled himself on the floor. 

“Don’t let me interrupt whatever it is you’re doing.” Linhardt said with an expression that relayed how much he didn’t care. He took a stack of books and headed out the door.

Byleth cleared his throat, smoothing down his jacket. “Right. Well then. After all that, I still didn’t get the book I was looking for. Would you mind…?” He pointed at the ladder.

“Not at all.” 

Once again, Byleth scaled the ladder. His hands were shaky after the fall, but he was reassured knowing that Dedue would be there, keeping him steady. That was Dedue in a nutshell. A reliable presence, a force for good. He was there to catch you in those arms of his if you fell. Without Dedue, they never would have gotten so far. Without Dedue, Dimitri wouldn’t even be alive. Even during the war, Dedue hadn’t lost what made him such a beautiful person to begin with. 

Grabbing a few books that seemed relevant, Byleth trekked back down. As he stepped off, Dedue took his hand, steadying him. Dedue’s hand was rough, but warm. Byleth mourned the loss of it when he was safely on the ground. 

“Thank you for your help. I couldn’t have asked for a better spotter.”

Dedue once again went pink. “Of course. I’m happy to help.”

Byleth couldn’t help but smile. “How about lunch? I know our supplies are rather lacking, but I haven’t eaten yet.”

“I would not call a meal at 4:00 in the afternoon lunch.” Ah, right. It was hard to tell time in the library, since it was perpetually dark. “But yes, I will accompany you.” 

\-----

Spending time with Dedue was like a dream. It made Byleth feel as though they weren’t currently caught in a horrific war, like he was on vacation without ever having to go anywhere. Whether it was in the greenhouse, helping him garden, or in the library, pouring through more and more dry volumes, Dedue had firmly established himself as Byleth’s rock, as the one Byleth could turn to in his time of need. Byleth found himself yearning for more time with Dedue, even though they were both very busy.

Dedue was not an easy man to read. During their time together, Byleth had picked up on the ways the man expressed himself, through action more than word. But what Byleth could never truly determine was how Dedue felt about him. They were friends, that was to be sure. As time had gone on, Byleth realized he was beginning to feel something more than friendship towards him. And he desperately wanted to know if Dedue felt the same, or if his dedication to Dimitri would prevent them from becoming something more. Perhaps Dedue was in love with Dimitri. As much as Byleth hated to admit it, it would make sense. 

Regardless, they were still in a war. Not the greatest time to fall in love. So Byleth kept it to himself, in the hopes that someday, when the world was a little calmer, he could reveal his true feelings. 

It was an overcast day, and the air smelled of rain. Byleth and Dedue rode through the forest, scouting ahead of the group for a spot to camp for the night. Preferably somewhere with a lot of tree cover, or even a cave. This week’s mission would be relatively easy, routing some bandits who had stolen goods from Anna. 

“Looks like rain.” Byleth said. “I hope it doesn’t cover the bandits’ tracks.”

“They’ll likely be caught in it too. It may slow them down enough for us to catch up.”

Byleth nodded. He heard a soft woosh, and assumed it was a bird. That was, until he heard it again. An arrow, flying through the air. “Damnit, we’re being attacked!” He scanned the woods around them. Whoever was there must’ve been well camouflaged. There was another woosh, this time from the other side of the path. Followed by a grunt of pain. 

Dedue had an arrow sticking out of his torso. “I… believe you may need to go on without me.” 

Before saying another word, Byleth froze time. This was _not_ happening. Dedue was not going to die, not on a scouting mission. Not on his watch. He yanked time backwards several minutes, to before they had reached that part of the forest. Dedue again looked startled, but was thankfully arrow-free. 

“We have to go back. If we keep going this way, we’re going to get attacked.” Byleth said, stopping his horse. He tried to conceal the fear in his voice, to stop himself from shaking. 

“How do you- never mind.” It was then that Byleth realized just how much Dedue trusted him. There was no reason that Dedue knew of for them to turn back, there was nothing stopping them from continuing, but Byleth had proved a reliable enough leader that Dedue would agree to such an unlikely request. 

Another arrow flew by. Damn. Apparently he hadn’t gone back far enough. They still had time, they could still escape-

That grunt of pain again. Another arrow had struck Dedue. Again, Byleth froze time. He spun back another few minutes. Another arrow. Always from the same direction, always hitting the same spot. Was it Dedue’s fate to die here? Byleth refused to let it be so. Over and over again, he reversed time, but Dedue kept being struck. Byleth realized there was only one way he could stop the cycle. 

He reversed time. He rode in front of Dedue, stopping the path of the arrow with his own body. 

“We have to get out of here.” Byleth grunted out. “Now.” 

Dedue’s jaw dropped. “Byleth, how-”

“Come on!” 

Yanking the reins of his horse, Byleth rode as hard as he could out of the woods, Dedue following closely behind. Thunder cracked above, and rain began pouring down. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the pain of the arrow wound was quickly becoming overwhelming. But they had to get back to the safety of camp before anything else happened. 

Byleth’s vision began to falter just as the camp came into view. If he could just make it a little further…

The pain was too much. He could hear Dedue shout his name as the world went dark, and he went careening towards the ground. 

\-----

Byleth awoke with a start, nearly sitting up. The pain in his torso still lingered, but someone had clearly used extensive healing magic to dull it. It took a few seconds for the world to come into focus, and when it did, he found Manuela standing over him. 

“Careful, you’ll open it up again, and then we’ll have a whole lot of problems.” Manuela said, pushing him back down onto the hospital bed. 

“How did I-?”

“Your wound was too severe for them to take care of you at the field hospital, so they brought you back to the monastery. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re alive, given how much blood you lost.” 

Byleth’s mouth felt like it was full of cotton. “Well, I simply couldn’t abandon you, Manuela.”

“You flirt. How would I live without you.” She smirked. “How did it even happen?”

“Soldiers on the road. Would’ve shot Dedue, but I got in the way.”

“I see.” The implications of what he had said sunk in. “Oh, oh. I see. You… well, now, that is interesting.”

Turning away, Byleth felt himself go red. “Please don’t tell anyone, he doesn’t know.”

“Honey, if he doesn’t already know, I’ll shave my head. But if it makes you feel any better, I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you.”

Manuela gently unwrapped Byleth’s bandages, examining the wound. With the help of some wet rags and a little magic, she healed it even more. Still not perfect, but at least less painful. “You know, he was the one who brought you back here. Rode through that awful storm just to save your life.”

“Oh.” Byleth would have to thank him profusely later, over his favorite tea. Maybe he could get Ashe to cook up some snacks from Duscur. 

“He wanted to stay by your side the whole night, but I made him get some sleep. Won’t do us any good to have the both of you down for the count.” She raised an eyebrow. “Tell me you get what I’m hinting at.”

“I do, don’t worry.” Byleth could be thick, but he knew what Manuela was talking about. Dedue spoke through actions. And his actions were speaking now. “How much longer until I can leave?”

“Give it a few hours, see how you feel. I’ll have someone grab you some food, and if you can keep it down, and you promise not to open your wound, I’ll let you go.”

Byleth nodded. He tried to sit up, but Manuela pushed him down again. 

“Be patient. The war’s not gonna be won in a day.”

Rolling his eyes, Byleth settled back down. He wasn’t one to enjoy bedrest, but given how his limbs felt like they had been replaced by bricks, he decided to pay attention to what Manuela had to say. 

An hour - or, what felt like an hour - later, Byleth was woken from a light sleep to the sound of the infirmary door opening. It was Dedue, carrying a tray of food. His eyes lit up when he saw Byleth still very much alive, if not quite kicking yet. Manuela gave some half-hearted excuse and slipped out the door, probably listening in.

“How are you feeling?” Dedue asked, setting the tray down to help Byleth sit up. 

“I’ve had better days.” Byleth was intimately aware of the way their fingers brushed against each other as Dedue placed the tray across Byleth’s legs. It was a bowl of soup, and a cup of tea. Both probably made by Dedue. Both probably perfect. “Thank you for this. And for saving me. It seems like I owe you more than one.”

Dedue shook his head. “You took that arrow for me. I would say we’re even.” He pulled up a chair to sit beside Byleth’s bed. “I must ask, how did you know where the arrow was going to strike?”

Sighing, Byleth sipped the tea. Indeed, perfect. “I’m not sure you’ll believe me if I tell you.”

“In a war, there are many unbelievable things I will believe.”

“Well, you see, I…” How to put it into words? Sothis barely knew how to explain it to begin with. “You know how even Hanneman knows little about my crest? It’s a long story, but basically, because of my crest, in a time of need, I can reverse time.”

Dedue frowned. “I see.”

“I saw that arrow hit you over and over again. And each time, it killed you. I couldn’t stand to watch, and I couldn’t… we couldn’t lose you like that, so I realized the only way to change time was to take the arrow for you.”

“You saw me die.”

“Yes. I couldn’t let that happen, Dedue.” Perhaps it was the exhaustion kicking in, but Byleth felt tears prickling in his eyes. “You deserve more than dying on a stupid scouting mission. If I had to take an arrow for you to live, then so be it.”

“Do not throw your life away for me. I am a man of Duscur, I-”

“We’ve long established that I don’t care about that.” In a move bolder than any he had made before, Byleth took Dedue’s hand in his. Those same warm, calloused, wonderful hands that had caught him in the library all those months ago. He felt bad neglecting Dedue’s lovely soup, but there were more important things to deal with. “I care about you, Dedue. Very much so.”

Though clearly surprised by the sudden display of affection, Dedue did not reject it. He moved closer, putting his other hand over Byleth’s. “I care about you as well. But you cannot risk your own life for mine, not when there are so many who depend on you. It is as we discussed in the greenhouse; we must both stay alive for the end of the war, so that I can show you the flowers of Duscur. Unless you want to break our promise.”

“No! No. That is a promise I intend to keep.”

“I’m glad.” 

They sat like that for a moment, Byleth’s hand clasped in Dedue’s. Suddenly, Dedue let go, placing his hands in his lap and looking away from Byleth. 

“I believe there is something we need to talk about.”

“I believe you’re right.”

“I…” Dedue took a deep breath, “I am not always good with words, and I know the time we live in is difficult, but I cannot conceal my feelings any longer. In our time together, I have come to realize that what I feel towards you surpasses friendship. Byleth, I… I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“You do?”

“Yes! I had not dared to hope that you felt the same, but when Manuela told me how you rode through that storm just to save me, I realized I may not be alone in my feelings.” Slowly, hesitantly, Byleth reached over and cupped Dedue’s cheek. 

“Byleth…” Taking Byleth’s hand from his cheek, Dedue brought it to his lips. With the care and delicacy that one might handle a flower, Dedue kissed Byleth’s palm. “When this war is over, if his Majesty will allow me to leave his service...”

“Don’t quit just for my sake.”

“It is not just for you, though I won’t deny it is part of it. But I have spent too long living my life for others. I would like to see the world in a time of peace. And I would like to see it with you. If you’ll have me.”

“I wouldn’t have anyone else.”

**Author's Note:**

> yeah again no beta so sorry if there are any issues. i love dedue so much. dedue if you're out there please marry me.


End file.
